


Life on the Streets (And the things we do to survive)

by Misuto



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Allen Walker Needs a Hug, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:06:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28093626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misuto/pseuds/Misuto
Summary: Hunted, hungry and barely enough cash between all of them to put a roof over their heads, Kanda, Johnny and Link are about to see a side to Allen that they probably wish they could un-see.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 53





	Life on the Streets (And the things we do to survive)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going to put this down and walk away...

They pool their resources on the table and take stock. It’s not much. Enough money to last a few more days in an inn, maybe enough for a few meager meals.

  
Johnny wrings his hands, worrying, and turns to the youngest of the four. “You’ve lived on the streets before, how did you survive without money?”

  
Allen pulls a face that is somewhere between offended and amused. But Johnny is not wrong. He has lived on the streets before. And he’s spent too many days worrying about having enough money for his next meal that he isn’t alarmed by their current situation.

  
“There are…ways,” he says, leaning back and taking stock of the ragtag group. Link stands upright and tense. Kanda sits on one of the beds, equally tense but better at hiding it. Johnny is openly worried. Allen immediately knows what the others will think of his first three methods. He doesn’t even consider suggesting the fifth. He holds up one finger. “You beg,” he says and watches Kanda visibly recoil. He holds up a second finger. “You scavenge.” How many times had he found a half-eaten loaf of bread in the trash, his first meal in a few days? Johnny makes a face, obviously imagining a similar scenario. Allen holds up a third finger. “You steal.” Link looks affronted by the very idea. Allen chuckles to himself. Yes, he thought as much.

  
Finally he holds up a fourth finger. “You work.”

  
“Like odd jobs?” Johnny asks. Poor guy has only ever been employed by the Order.

  
“Yeah. Personally I find street performances bring in a decent haul,” Allen says, shrugging.

  
Kanda scowls. “Not in a million years,” he snarls.

  
“Got any better ideas?” Allen snaps back. Kanda looks away.

  
Link is the voice of reason. “You don’t have any of your props anymore,” he points out which deflates Allen somewhat. Right. He’d lost that stuff when the Akuma attacked.

  
It’s Johnny’s idea to set up the “fix it” booth. He’s good at it too but the problem is getting customers. Personally, Allen thinks it’s a stupid and inefficient way to earn money but he knows the scientist is offering the best he has.

  
After three full days sitting and waiting around for people to bring them things to fix and barely enough to cover the cost of the inn, they sit in silence each with their lump of old bread. Johnny wonders if Allen fished it out of a trash bin but is too embarrassed to ask.

  
Kanda is too proud to complain and Link is too disciplined but Allen can tell they’re just as dismayed and just as hungry.

  
“This is stupid,” he complains.

  
“Got any better ideas?” Kanda says, throwing his own words back at him.

  
Allen glares at him. “As a matter of fact, I do,” he says defiantly before adding “it’s illegal though and you probably won’t like it.” He is staring at Kanda but Link correctly guesses that the comment is meant for him.

  
“No!” he says vehemently. “I am not resorting to pickpocketing,” he complains almost childishly.

  
Johnny’s eyebrows shoot up and he looks at Allen sitting beside him with open curiosity. “Have you pickpocketed someone before?” he asks, a cross between horror and fascination. And then adds, “Are you good at it?”

  
Link rounds on the scientist. Allen holds up the CROW’s (empty) wallet and laughs stopping the self-righteous rant before it starts. Links pats himself down and snatches the wallet back fuming.

  
“I’ve had some practice,” he says mildly, ignoring Link. (“That is- Absolutely not! Stealing is wrong!”)

  
Johnny stares at the teen with new admiration. Allen smiles uncomfortably, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. “I’m a fair hand at poker too,” he points out. (“Gambling is just as bad!”)

  
Kanda is annoyed by the whole conversation. “You need money to gamble with,” he says evenly. Allen shrugs.

  
“Not necessarily,” he replies, eyeing Mugen.

  
Kanda is on his feet with a murderous glare. “Lay a finger on my sword and no one will ever find your body,” he snarls dangerously.

  
Allen is unfazed. “I never lose at poker,” he says plainly as if this would change the swordsman’s mind.

  
“Because you cheat,” Kanda spits turning away, refusing to even entertain this train of thought any further.

  
Allen doesn’t deny this and Link has new fuel for his rant. (What is wrong with you Walker?!)

  
Allen laughs at him until his stomach gives a painful and sobering growl. It’s true that he’s gone several days without eating in the past but he’s not a little boy anymore and his parasite-type innocence requires a staggering amount of energy from him. It’s getting late and he’s tired of playing these games.

  
“Look. I’ve lived on the streets before. And then with General Cross, I’ve had to come up with lots of money fast. Give me one week,” he says to the room in general. He knows the others are here for him but he’s used to living this sort of life on his own. He eyes Link. Used to earning money without anyone questioning his morals. “I’ll earn us enough money that we won’t have to worry about our financial situation for a while. Just,” and here he stares down Link in particular but Kanda too, “let me do it my way.”

  
“But-,” Link protests but Allen holds up a hand.

  
“If you don’t want to know, don’t ask,” he says tightly.

  
Allen leaves shortly after with Kanda following. When they return, it’s late and Allen quietly returns the watch he “borrowed” from Johnny in order to gamble. He’s earned them quite a bit of money but he’s not done.

  
The following night, Johnny tags along (Link refuses to take part). He looks uncomfortable in the shady pubs Allen drags them into but tries his best to look tough. He is, after all, the one in charge of carrying the money. Allen doubles their funds but makes a few enemies and Kanda has to pull his weight by threating to slice someone up. The poor man was drunk but persistent with his claims that Allen had cheated him (he wasn’t wrong). On the third night, Allen, Kanda and Johnny run into the same man at a different pub. Five hands in and the man (he’s losing again and quite drunk) lunges at Johnny. Allen nearly loses some fingers as he intercepts the knife, saving the scientist’s life but it was a close call for both of them.

  
The knife barely does any damage to Allen’s left hand but he realizes that he reacted on instinct and used his left hand only because Johnny is sitting on his left. It could have easily been his right hand.

  
“Now, now, there’s no need for violence,” he says, unnervingly calm about it. Johnny is sitting ramrod straight in his seat, his eyes as wide as saucers with the knife’s blade inches from his chest gripped firmly in Allen’s Innocence hand.

  
“You’re a goddamned cheat!” the man snarls jumping to his feet. His chair clatters to the floor and he is flanked by his friends. There are more of them than Allen’s friends.

  
Allen gives him a polite smile. “Prove it,” he says shrugging. He collects his winnings. “I think we’re done here.”

  
The drunk man and his gang look like they want to stop them but they’re wary of Kanda’s sword and the murderous glint in his eye. Allen decides that the game is getting too dangerous. The town is too small and he’s been labelled as a cheater among the seedy pub population. They have some money but not enough.

  
Link feels justified by Johnny’s near death experience and he can’t help the smugness in his voice as he suggests they move on.

  
The next place they settle in is a much bigger city. Unfortunately for Allen, his reputation follows him. A few unsavory characters are out for his blood. Unfortunately for Johnny, he’s the one they target.

  
When the scientist stumbles back to the inn late from a shopping errand he is bruised, bloodied and in tears. His glasses are cracked, his lip is swollen and there is a dark circle forming around in right eye.

  
Allen is by his side in an instant. “What happened?!”

  
Kanda silently goes to the small bathroom to get a wet cloth.

  
“Allen, I’m sorry,” Johnny sobs. He’s cradling his right hand which is sporting an impressive purple and blue colour. “They took the money,” he adds quietly.

  
“All of it?” Link demands at the same time as Allen asks “Who?”

  
“The gang from the pub.”

  
Link shoots Allen a dark look but says nothing. Allen sighs. This is why he’d rather do these things alone. He could look after himself just fine but when others got involved…

  
“So we’re back to square one,” Link states bitterly. Kanda returns to his seat on the window sill and says nothing. After a while he catches Allen’s eye with a hand resting subtly on Mugen. An offer for retaliation. But Allen shakes his head. It wasn’t worth it to go after them. Money isn’t worth it. Besides he still had one card up his sleeve.

  
“Don’t worry about it Johnny, we’ll get some more,” he says kindly. He guides the young man over to his bed and fusses over him for a bit like he’s a child. Link has had enough and goes out on patrol.

  
It’s getting late and Allen, resigned, needs to get ready. He disappears into the bathroom for a while.

  
When Allen emerges, he’s the image of a perfect gentleman. His shirt is crisp and tidy; his hair is pulled back in a neat pony tail. It’s a shame about the jagged scar running down the left side of his face but some things can’t be helped. He stands at the mirror adjusting his neck tie with the collar of his shirt flipped up.

  
Kanda eyes him with suspicion. “Where are you going?” he growls without moving from his window seat.

  
“Out,” Allen replies tersely moving on to his shirt cuffs.

  
Johnny perks up from the bed. “I’ll come with you,” he says still guilty about losing all their money.

  
Allen’s grey eyes settle on him, amused. “Actually Johnny, I think it’d be best if you stayed here with Kanda.” He offers the scientist a kind smile as he grabs his coat. He looks out of place in the dingy inn room dressed like that. “Don’t wait up for me,” he says and leaves.

  
Kanda glowers at the door but there is something else in his expression. Concern? Pity? Derision? He’s not entirely sure. He decides that he doesn’t care how Allen chooses to live his life.

  
When Allen returns, it’s nearly sunup. He drags his feet, throws his coat over the back of a chair and loosens his collar. From his pocket he pulls a hefty wad of cash which he drops unceremoniously on the table.

  
Link is on him in an instant. “Where the HELL have you been?” he practically shouts in the teen’s face, waking up the other occupants of the small inn room.

  
Allen gives him a ruthless smile. “What are you, my mother?”

  
“Wow Allen, how did you get so much money?” Johnny is at the table counting the cash, his eyes round and excited.

  
“Did you steal this money?” Link demands. Allen doesn’t appreciate the man yelling in his face. He has a headache and wants to sleep.

  
“I’ll have you know that people willingly gave me their money,” he says tightly, insulted. He really doesn’t have the energy for this. He pushes past him for the bathroom but Link grabs him by the front of his shirt, his fists bunching into the fabric. He wrinkles his nose.

  
Allen smells of perfume, alcohol, smoke and sweat. Now that he’s closer he can see fresh bruises on his neck and what he can see of his shoulder and (is that a bite mark?)

  
“Where did it come from then?” Johnny asks, completely missing the tension among the other three.

  
When Allen doesn’t answer and Link continues to stare him down, Kanda scoffs and returns to his seat by the window (his favourite spot, apparently). “You sell, right Beansprout?”

  
The wheels are turning in Link’s head but Johnny just looks confused. “But we don’t have anything to sell,” he says innocently.

  
Allen gives the older man a world-weary pitying look. “Selling something isn’t limited to material things, Johnny,” he says gently; worn out.

  
Link lets go of his shirt as if he’s been burned and looks at Allen sharply, accusingly.

  
Allen can’t help himself. He laughs. Link is looking at him as if he’s lost his marbles. He probably has, somewhere along the way. The opium induced haze doesn’t help. “What?” he snarls suddenly doing a 180, daring him to say something. “You think I was sold as a child for my good looks?”

  
Link is speechless and Allen suddenly feels like throwing up. “I need a shower,” he mumbles and heads for the bathroom without any more obstacles.

  
Link turns his accusing glare on Kanda. “You knew what he was doing and you just let him go??”

  
Kanda shrugs. “He can make his own choices, I’m not here to baby him,” he says with an edge to his voice.

  
Johnny is naïve but not stupid. He gets a sense of what they’re talking about but he’s too embarrassed to ask. Still, he’d never thought Allen, so gentle and nice, as someone who would sell himself. He’s not sure what to think. And he was so young too.

  
“He’s done this before, hasn’t he?” he asks quietly, sad. He knew the teen had lived a rough life but he was now seeing a side to Allen he’d never imagined existed while at the Order.

  
Kanda has no interest in discussing Allen’s questionable morals and goes out for a patrol.

  
Still, the three are grateful that the money Allen brought in will last them for a good while and agree not to mention it again. And when the money gets tight and Allen disappears for one night, looking handsome and confident but with a forced smile on his face, no one says anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this came out of nowhere. I know Allen was sold to the circus to be put in a freak show but human trafficking is human trafficking. And there's that one panel, I swear, where the ring master touches his face that suggests to me that Red was abused in more ways than just physically. Just saying. (Chapter 232, btw) And let's be honest, Allen spent four years practically living in brothels while apprenticed to Cross.


End file.
